Trauma of the Abdomen and Pelvis

Abstract

Head, abdominal and pelvic injuries account for the vast majority of deaths resulting from trauma. Prevention of many of these deaths, especially those resulting from abdominal and pelvic wounds, can be accomplished by aggressive resuscitation, urgent detection of significant injuries and prompt control of hemorrhage. The role of the radiologist in the detection and management of many injuries has expanding in the past two decades, initiated by the acceptance of computed tomography for the detection and management of head injuries. Radiology has also become central in the integrated care of abdominal trauma because modern imaging modalities provide a comprehensive assessment of the abdomen for the diagnosis, exclusion, characterization and treatment of most major abdominal injuries.